What are looking for?

#ms03: Nutrition Diversity (MDD-W)

Indicator Phrasing

Number of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) consuming a minimal diverse diet (at least 5 out of 10 predefined food groups)
Nombre de femmes en âge de procréer (15 - 49 ans) qui consomment une alimentation minimale diversifiée

Indicator Phrasing

English: Number of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) consuming a minimal diverse diet (at least 5 out of 10 predefined food groups)

French: Nombre de femmes en âge de procréer (15 - 49 ans) qui consomment une alimentation minimale diversifiée

What is its purpose?

A key objective of WHH’s strategy for #OnePlanetZeroHunger is sustainable food and nutrition security (SFNS). In WHH’s SFNS approach, utilization (food intake and how the body can use the food) is defined as a core dimension that is influenced by several underlying factors. Women of reproductive age (WRA) are especially vulnerable in terms of nutrition because of the physiologically higher nutrient demands during pregnancy and lactation. Insufficient nutrient intake before and during pregnancy and lactation can affect both women and their infants. To avoid malnutrition of children within the “window of opportunity” (the first 1,000 days of life), adequate nutrition is crucial for mothers during pregnancy and while breastfeeding infants under two years of age. However, diet quality for WRA is very low in many resource-poor environments, and there are tremendous discrepancies between nutrient intake and requirements, especially regarding micronutrients. The Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women of Reproductive Age (MDD-W) is a proxy indicator to describe the micronutrient adequacy of the diet of women and may be used as a proxy for the overall micronutrient adequacy of diets.

How to Collect and Analyse the Required Data

The #ms MDD-W is an indicator of whether WRA (15–49 years) have consumed at least five out of ten predefined food groups the previous day or night ("yesterday").

 

The ten food groups included in MDD-W are:

      1. Grains, plantains, and white roots and tubers
      2. Pulses (beans, peas, and lentils)
      3. Nuts and seeds
      4. Dairy
      5. Meat, poultry, and fish
      6. Eggs
      7. Dark-green, leafy vegetables
      8. Other vitamin A–rich fruits and vegetables
      9. Other vegetables
      10. Other fruits

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample (WHH sampling guidelines) of the households targeted in your project.

Questions should be addressed to women of reproductive age (15-49 years) only. 

 

This indicator requires a baseline and comparison value(s) to yield interesting information on project outcomes. At minimum, it should therefore be collected as part of both a baseline and an endline survey. A mid-term survey is optional.

 

Disaggregate by

Disaggregate the data by age, location, and wealth.

Important Comments

This is a 'Measuring Success' (#ms) indicator. It is obligatory for all WHH projects to integrate all #ms indicators that align with the project context, with a minimum requirement of utilizing at least one indicator (and implementing one #ms qualitative tool).

 

1) Data for the #ms MDD-W indicator can generally be collected at any time of the year. However, results may vary according to the seasons (if collected during the period of greatest food shortage, such as immediately prior to the harvest, the score might be lower than if collected at a different time of the year). Therefore, baseline and endline data collection should always be undertaken at the same time of the year.

 

2) Do not collect data during fasting periods (such as Lent or Ramadan) or fasting days, nor on days after special feasts or occasions when dietary intake can be expected to be different from normal.

 

3)  Prior to data collection, enumerators should attend a short practical training session. Points to emphasize:

  • Food groups must be filled with examples of typical local food items from the particular area.
  • In addition to advanced survey-collection skills, enumerators need a basic understanding of nutrition.
  • Information about local food items could be obtained, for example, by visiting a local market.
  • Make sure that information about typical local mixed dishes and their ingredients is clear to all enumerators before data collection takes place. Food prepared outside the home (i.e., not by the respondent) may also present challenges to data collection.
  • Explain the idea behind the food groups, using images to illustrate your point. It is easier for respondents to list the meals they have eaten if they can refer to a visual aid (for example a poster or a card with pictures).
  • Trivial quantities (less than 15 grams or one tablespoon) do generally not count in the construction of the MDD-W indicator. During data collection, it is advisable that enumerators carry a tablespoon with them to give respondents an idea of minimum relevant consumption quantities.
  • Survey teams should be composed of women or mixed-gender teams. As the MDD-W survey is administered to women from the age of 15 onwards, some of the respondents will be minors.

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This guidance was prepared by Welthungerhilfe ©

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